Good morning from the shoreline.
The Halloween events start this weekend, and the forecast is sunny straight through Sunday.
Here’s what I’ve surfaced this week.
In today's issue: the next Dinner Club · Living on the Shoreline No. 2 · Mystic's Halloween parade · Susan Lucci at the UNITED · ghost tours on Groton Bank · Shadows & Spirits with the ECSO · A.J. Croce plays his father's songs
Heads up: Gmail sometimes cuts this email short. Read the full issue online →
START HERE
The weekend in 30 seconds
THE MARQUEE
Mystic Halloween Parade & Trunk or Treat
Sunday · 1–3pm · Mystic · Free
The parade steps off on Water Street outside Friar Tuck's, crosses the drawbridge and ends at the Mystic Firehouse with trunk or treat, crafts and mummy wrapping. Bring a non-perishable food item for United Way.
FOR FAMILIES
Saturday · 10am–4pm · New London · Free
Mitchell's Behavioral Science Club runs its 16th annual festival with crafts, games, storytelling, face painting and costume parades. Bring a canned food item for the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center.
AFTER DARK
Friday–Saturday · 5–8pm · Mystic · Pre-registration required
Take a self-guided walk on the nature center's trails with live animals, jack-o'-lanterns and kids' crafts. It's a mild scare from 5 to 6:30 and a medium scare from 6:30 to 7:30, with last entry at 7:30.
BEST VALUE
Saturday · 4–7pm · New London · Free, $5 suggested donation
Costumed ghosts of past New Londoners tell their stories at the city's oldest house, 11 Hempstead St, at twilight. Walk-ins are welcome.
NEXT DINNER: NOVEMBER 10
Booking is open for Dinner Club round three
Thank you to the 27 of you who came out to round two on October 14!
Round three is Tuesday, November 10, in downtown Mystic. You book one seat, I match the tables, and you meet the rest of the Crew over dinner. The $15.99 booking fee holds your seat. You pay for your own food and drinks at the restaurant, which I reveal the morning of.
Tuesday, November 10 · 6:30pm · Downtown Mystic · $15.99
Can't make this one? Reply and I'll send you the next date first.
READER SERIES · NO. 2
Living on the Shoreline
Renting in Mystic and putting herself out there
She's in her early 60s, retired from finance, and grew up nearby. Eight years ago she sold the family house and moved to a rental in Mystic. Her answers are lightly edited, with a few details generalized so she stays anonymous.
What do you do for work?
I'm retired from finance, and I work 10 to 15 hours a week doing bookkeeping, at my leisure for the most part.
How long have you been here, and what brought you?
I moved here eight years ago from a nearby town, and I grew up in a nearby town, so I'm definitely a life-local. My youngest was in college, the parent I cared for had passed away, and I was done with the upkeep of a house and land, so I decided to sell and rent while my kids got ready to launch. I wanted a shorter commute, stores and activities closer by, and to be closer to salt water. I'd had my eye on Mystic. It was a strong pull, and I made it happen.
Where do you live, and where does your life actually happen?
I live in Mystic and work from home. I eat at home the most; when I go out, it's Stonington Borough, Westerly and Mystic. I shop in Mystic, Westerly and Groton, depending on what I need. I walk Napatree, Barn Island, Misquamicut or downtown Mystic.
Who's in the household?
Just me and my cat.
Tell me about your housing.
I rent in Mystic, and it's expensive. I wish I owned, because at some point the debt would be paid, and there's never an end to renting. But it's good as a temporary option, which is my situation right now, and I don't pay for repairs.
Any advice on work and money?
If you're not happy with your job, set a goal timeline as brief as possible, then make a change when that time comes. There's a price for your happiness, and that includes your health, physical and mental. Money doesn't buy happiness.
What's one local decision that has made your money go further?
Eating at home. My treat out is a cocktail or a dessert, just to get out. I eat before I go out so I spend less, and I cook and freeze single servings for the nights I don't feel like cooking.
How have you found friendship and community here?
I have social connections, but fewer deep ones, and I'm working on that. I'm out and about often, hoping my opportunities increase. I'd appreciate deeper connections with more authenticity. Dating is very difficult. Way more women are open to activities and events than men. What will it take to get these men away from their homes? I'm hoping the dinner club helps with deeper connections. I think doing something repeatedly and seeing the same people will eventually turn into a better connection, if you both click.
Do you know how many women have told me they could never go out to dinner alone? I wasn't dating on Valentine's Day, so I dressed up and took myself out to a nice dinner. I was the only single person there. Everybody else was a couple, and that includes the bar. I'm not going to meet someone on my couch, so I put myself out there.
What routine keeps you grounded?
Nature: the beach, walks, salt air, quiet. Reading, puzzles, music, dancing, regular sleep, eating well, less alcohol, more exercise, yoga. Somewhat of a routine, with spontaneous adventures.
One restaurant that's worth the money?
Noah's. The Thursday meatloaf dinner with a glass of wine or a beer for $19.
The best free thing about living here?
Walking Misquamicut Beach or Napatree in the off-season, Barn Island year-round, and the other local trails. Being outside grounds me most. It's nice to do with someone, but it's therapy to do alone.
What counts as "wealthy" around here?
Materialistic wealthy is Watch Hill, and there's more scattered wealth in Stonington Borough, Masons Island, Lords Point, Noank and Mystic. All the condos in downtown Mystic are for the wealthy. My definition of wealthy is being rich in the ways that matter: good health, meaningful relationships, peace, comfort, freedom, and having enough.
How much would it take to feel genuinely free?
$2 million or more, shared with those I love. Zero debt. Travel the world, no rent or mortgage, and a new car every five years so I don't have to worry about breaking down. I'd also like to give to animal rescue or people in need, anonymously, and to regularly throw a free event for the community that most people couldn't afford, just so they could experience luxury. Everyone deserves to be spoiled.
What do you know now about building a good life that you wish you'd understood earlier?
Everything is temporary, including us. It really doesn't matter what other people think. Be yourself, even if that means being different, and do the things that you enjoy.
What didn't I ask that someone should understand about living here?
There are too many tourists in Mystic. There isn't enough parking, and now there are two-hour limits, which isn't enough time for a relaxing drink, dinner and dessert plus the shops. A lot of my friends won't come downtown for dinner because there's not enough parking and not everyone can walk a long distance.
Want to tell yours? This series is about how people build a life here: the work, what housing costs, how you made friends, and what keeps you here. The form doesn't collect your name or email, every question is optional, and I remove identifying details before anything runs.
16 questions · about 15 to 25 minutes · no name, no email
EDITOR’S PICKS
The Digest
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 · 7PM (DOORS 6)
Susan Lucci at the UNITED
The UNITED, Black Box · Westerly · $20, or $52 with the book
Susan Lucci, who played Erica Kane on All My Children, talks about her new memoir, La Lucci, with thriller author Deborah Goodrich Royce. Martin House Books co-hosts. Photo tickets with Lucci after the talk are $25 and limited to 150, and she won't be personalizing books.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 · TOURS AT 6 AND 6:30PM
Ghosts of Groton Bank
Avery-Copp House Museum, 154 Thames St · Groton · $20, $15 members, reservations required
The haunted walking tour begins inside the house, with the origins of Halloween traditions and a parlor set for a Victorian funeral. Then a guide walks the group along Thames Street, telling the neighborhood's haunted tales. Reserve at averycopphouse.org or 860-445-1637.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 · 11AM–4PM
Library RenFaire at the Public Library of New London
Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St · New London
The library's medieval day has crafts, live combat demonstrations, music, potion making, fairy gardens, medieval treats and artisan vendors. Come in costume for the costume contest, and Wendy from The Golden Owl teaches medieval table setting.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 · 2–5PM
Howl-O-Ween on Bank Street
The Office, 61 Bank St · New London
Barks & Recreation's first dog-friendly Halloween party has a dog costume contest with prizes, local vendors and a photo booth. Collect stamps at participating Bank Street businesses for a chance at a prize. Dogs stay leashed, and they should be comfortable around other dogs and people.
THE REST OF THE WEEK
Friday, October 23
Ghosts & Legends with Jeff Belanger
6–7:30pm · Groton Public Library · a multimedia talk on haunted places, near and far · GROTON
The Arts Café Mystic: Margaret Gibson
doors 6:30pm · La Grua Center, 32 Water St · a poetry reading; tickets at the door · STONINGTON
What Lurks Beneath: Ghost Ship
6–9pm, last tickets 7:30 · Mystic Seaport Museum, North Entrance · the last weekend; also Saturday and Sunday, then Wednesday–Friday, October 28–30 · MYSTIC
Saturday, October 24
Halloween at Stonington Vineyards
2–5pm · Stonington Vineyards, 523 Taugwonk Rd · author Jane Carlson Pickering, kids' crafts, free cider for kids and music from Ernie Lewis · STONINGTON
Baba Yaga's Draglesque Review
7–10pm · Bank Square Books, 80 Stonington Rd · burlesque, drag and pole; tickets required · MYSTIC
Sunday, October 25
Paint a Pumpkin
1–4pm · Outer Light Brewing, 266 Bridge St · free; supplies are limited, so come early · GROTON
Sip & Pour Candle Making
1–3pm · Stonington Vineyards, 523 Taugwonk Rd · $60, materials and a glass of wine included · STONINGTON
Food & drink
Perfect Pairings: France vs. Italy Wine Dinner at The Shipwright's Daughter
Monday, October 26, 6–9pm · 20 E Main St · Mystic · Four courses, each served with two wines, one French and one Italian. Seating is limited. Details →
Halloween Food Truck Spooktacular
Saturday 12–8pm · Washington Park, 155 Meridian St · Groton · Food trucks park at Washington Park for the City of Groton's Halloween festival. Details →
Live Music
ECSO: Shadows & Spirits at the Garde
Saturday 7:30pm · Garde Arts Center, 325 State St · New London · $32–$84 plus fees · The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra opens its season under Toshiyuki Shimada with Danse macabre, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Isle of the Dead and Night on Bald Mountain. Isabella Diaz, the ECSO's 2026 competition winner, plays Prokofiev's first violin concerto. Bring a non-perishable food donation for the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center and you get a free Venetian mask to wear during the show. Tickets →
A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce at the Garde
Sunday 7pm · Garde Arts Center, 325 State St · New London · $48–$78 · A.J. Croce plays his father Jim Croce's songs, "Operator," "Time in a Bottle" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" among them, alongside his own. Tickets →
Suzanne Vega at the UNITED
Sunday 7:30pm (doors 6:30) · The UNITED, Black Box · Westerly · $54–$65 including fees, all ages · The singer-songwriter behind "Tom's Diner" and "Luka" brings her Flying With Angels tour to Westerly. Tickets →
Sam Grisman Project at the UNITED
Friday 8pm (doors 7) · The UNITED, Black Box · Westerly · $35 including fees, all ages · Bassist Sam Grisman leads an acoustic band in the tradition of Jerry Garcia and Sam's father, David Grisman. The sound is fully acoustic, so the band asks you to save conversation for the set break. Tickets →
Also this weekend: guitarist Rupert Boyd and cellist Laura Metcalf play as Boyd Meets Girl at the La Grua Center, 32 Water St in Stonington, Saturday at 5pm ($25 in advance, online only).
SAVE THE DATE
On the horizon
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26
Stone Acres Farm hosts a Halloween Moonlight Social under the full Hunter's Moon, 6 to 10:30pm, with live music, bonfires, food and drink, and artisan vendors. It's $26 in advance, and kids 12 and under get in free. Details → · Stonington
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26
Outer Light Brewing's Día de los Muertos fundraiser, 5 to 8pm, has the two chamber presidents bartending for tips, an ofrenda for photos of loved ones and family crafts. It's free to attend, and proceeds go to Riverfront's programs for babies and young children. Details → · Groton
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
Halloween Town brings trunk-or-treating, food trucks, music and a costume contest to City Pier on the New London waterfront, 5:30 to 8pm, free for families. Details → · New London
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31
Spooky Seas runs at Mystic Aquarium from 11am to 3pm, with trick-or-treat tables and underwater pumpkin carving, included with admission. Details → · Mystic
FRIDAY–SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6–8
Mermaids at Mystic returns to the aquarium, 10am to 4pm, included with admission (also November 13–15 and 20–22). Details → · Mystic
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Hubby Jenkins of the Carolina Chocolate Drops plays the Garde's 100-seat Oasis Room at 8pm, $32 to $41. Tickets → · New London
COASTAL WEATHER
The weekend outlook
FRIDAY
57°
Sunny · low 36°
SATURDAY
59°
Sunny · low 39°
SUNDAY
62°
Sunny · low 44°
That's your week. The busiest days are Saturday and Sunday, and the forecast is sunny all three days.
Pick one thing off the list and get out the door.
As always, if you are enjoying the newsletter or have any critiques, please reply and let me know!
Talk Thursday.
Reach shoreline locals every Thursday
Presenting partnerships, featured events, Crew Corner campaigns, and local notices are available.
